Knife head



Sept 20, 8- F. H. HAMMOND 2,130,391

KNIFE HEAD Filed Dec. 6, 1957 IN VENT OR.

f'iqyd Jif/ammond.

ATTORNEY5 Patented Sept. 20, 1938 ATENT OFFICE KNIFE HEAD Floyd H. Hammond, East Moline, 111., assignor to Deere & Company, Moline, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application December 6, 1937, Serial No. 178,224

3 Claims.

My invention relates generally to cutting apparatus for mowers and the like, and has for its principal object the provision of an improved knife head for mower sickles which is strong and durable but light in weight and efiicient in operation.

Another object relates to the provision of a knife head connection adapted for greater flexibility in operation with a pitman.

These and other objects and advantages will be made apparent by a consideration of the following description, reference being had to the appended drawing, in which Figure 1 is a plan View of a knife head embodying the principles of my invention; and

Figure 2 is a side elevation.

Referring to the drawing, the knife head, referred to in its entirety by the reference numeral 3, comprises a fiat base 4 including a shank 5 preferably formed integral with the base, a pair of web sections 6, l disposed in alignment longitudinally of the base and fixed thereto, preferably by welding. The webs 6, l are spaced apart and extend substantially perpendicular to the base 4.

A ball 8 is supported between the webs 6, l, the latter being fixed to the ball 8 at opposite sides thereof, respectively. Preferably, although not necessarily, the ball 8 and the webs 6, l are made integrally by forging. The ball 8 is spaced away from the base 4 to provide space for the pitman strap connections (not shown) which embrace the ball to form a ball and socket joint, as is well known to those skilled in the art. By virtue of the longitudinally spaced relation of the two webs 6, l, a clear space 9 is provided beneath the ball and between the two webs. This space under the ball provides increased flexibility between the pitman and the knife head by eliminating any binding action between the pitman straps and the knife head due to angular variation between the pitman and the knife head.

Each of the webs 6, l is extended away from the head to points on opposite sides of the ball which are appreciably beyond an axis XX drawn through the center of the ball 8 parallel to the base 4. By thus extending the webs, elongated supporting edges are provided along opposite sides of the ball in line with the force exerted upon the ball to reciprocate the knife. This construction results in an improved knife head which is not only more flexible in operation than conventional heads, but is stronger and more durable.

I claim:

1. A knife head comprising a base, a pair of spaced apart web sections disposed in alignment substantially perpendicular to said base and fixed thereto, and a ball supported between said spaced apart web sections, said ball being spaced from said base to provide an opening beneath said ball between said web sections.

2. A knife head comprising a base, a ball spaced from said base, and a pair of webs attached to opposite sides of said ball and fixed to said base in spaced relation to each other to provide an opening beneath the ball and between said webs.

3. A knife head comprising a flat base, a ball disposed in spaced relation thereto, a pair of aligned supporting webs attached to opposite sides of said ball and disposed substantially perpendicular to said base and fixed thereto in spaced relation to each other, said webs extending away from said base to points on said ball appreciably beyond an axis passing through the center of said ball parallel to said base.

FLOYD H. HAMMOND. 

